Seniors Aleah Marrow and Maddie Kobelt shared a moment in the weight room that exemplifies their relationship beyond the tennis court.

When Marrow was asked how her leadership style differs from Kobelt’s, she paused for a few seconds before showing a contagious smile. Then, she continued speaking while trying to hold laughter.

“Maddie’s more like the mom on the team,” Marrow said. “And I would be like the big sister.”

Immediately, Kobelt’s infectious laughter was heard from down the hall.

The relationship built between both seniors goes beyond how they perform on the court. They have been roommates for two years while playing doubles together and building a friendship since they first started at Syracuse.

Now, they embrace their roles as leaders of a rising Syracuse (0-3) squad with elevated expectations. Head coach Luke Jensen likes having extra voices during practices and games.

“They’re both similar in the sense that they are very tough,” Jensen said. “They are straightforward. There’s not a lot of messing around.

“It’s the first (pair of) captains where they act like coaches, especially to the freshmen. If they aren’t up to our speed, (Kobelt and Marrow) chew them out. That’s the first time we’ve ever had that.”

Kobelt began preparing herself for the high-caliber Atlantic Coast Conference teams over the past 12 months. She has competed year-round against girls her age that have played in the French Open and the U.S Open and, despite entering a new conference, embraces the elevated competition.

“I’m really excited, actually,” she said. “All the teams are ranked that we are coming up against. In the past, it’s been harder for us to schedule ranked teams or get them to come to Syracuse.”

Kobelt and Marrow find themselves well prepared to garner their roles as leaders due to their experience last season.

As juniors, they were the oldest on the team and used last season to build their camaraderie on the court. They share the same attitude as both players and teachers, but their way of communicating with younger teammates provides a unique distinction.

“(Marrow)’s a lot better with conveying her words as far as giving some pep speeches,” Kobelt said. “She really gets them motivated with that. I think we both set really good examples as how we play, how we compete and how we present ourselves on the court.”

Marrow motivates her team in the most crucial situations but her pep talks aren’t rehearsed before a game. Instead, she gains respect from her teammates because of her raw emotion.

“It’s just something that comes to my head. It’s nothing that I really think about,” she said. “I’m kind of a peppy person and very active, so it’s kind of natural. Whatever comes to my head, I’m going to say.”

Syracuse enters the ACC as one of the younger teams in the conference, with six freshmen on the team. Each one is quickly learning from their two senior leaders how to prepare against a league filled with quality teams.

Jensen displays plenty of confidence in Kobelt and Marrow, who he says take the role of “a second coach.”

“There really is a bond and a chemistry between the two captains,” Jensen said. “When you see them compete and lead, they’re both really strong. I think they really complement one another.

“Our team’s toughness and resiliency shows because of those guys.”

Published on January 21, 2014 at 12:56 am